Aeronautical motor



C. B. KIHKHAM.

vAERoNAuncAL MoToR. l APPLICATION FILED SEPI-.1.8; 1915- f 1,336,704. Nggaiaented Apr. 13, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Attorneg C. B. KIRK-HAM. AERONAUTICAL MoToR.

I APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I8, 1915. 1,336,704. Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E Invenor CHARLES B.KI|2KHAM A .a citizen of the United States,

UNITED STATES yPATENT oEEIcE.

CHARLES B. KIRKHAM, F BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO CURTISS AEROPLANE AND MOTOR C CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK,

ORPORATION, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A

AERONAUTICAL Moron.

Application ledseptember 18,1915. Serial No. 51,480.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. KIRKHAM, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Aeronautical Mo-I tors, of which the following is a specification. A

This invention relates to `internal combustion engines and more particularly 'relates to a V-type motor as 'constructed for high speed service in conjunction with aircraft.

As is well recognized in the art of explosion engines, air craft service makes the severest demands of all motor usage, since the highest speeds are continuously maintained and for runs of long duration. This should render it evident that the prime requisites of high speed engines adapted for this use are the provision of a carbureting system and of a cooling system, which shall be respectively adequate to provide the mc.

tor cylinders with a steady, even-flowing and unvarying fuel supply, and to prevent the dangerous defects caused by any over` heating of such cylinders.

The problems to be solved in the arrangement of these systems for a high speed, V-type motor are so related as to be greatly similar for each system. The cylinders of the engine are arranged in banks oppositely inclined to the central crankjvcasing.

In order for the engine to operate at maX- imum efficiency, each bank of cylinders requires individual carbureter service. It is therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide a carbureter for each bank of cylinders, each carbureter having a separate service pipe arranged for direct connection with its intake manifold.v

The above and additional objects, to be hereinafter more specifically treated, are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the drawings, described in the following-specification and then more clearly pointed out in the claims, whichA are appended hereto and form a part of this application.

With reference to the drawings, .in which there is illustrated one embodiment of the invention, and throughout the several views of which like characters of reference designate similar parts,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of the motor Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

comprehended by looking forward;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the engine showing interior details by a partial section; Fig. 3 'is a 'top plan View of one "of the cylinders, and

F ig. 4 is a detail sectional view of the pump per se. l Y

The engine produced by this invention is, as has been stated, of the V-type and includes a pair of cylinder banks projecting from the crank casing at respective angles thereto and with each other. Service of each bank of cylinders independently of the other, both as regards the water circulation, and as to the fuel supply, is accomplished by meansito which attention will be later speciically directed. Primarily, the general aspects of the engine will be given consideration. An upper crank casing portion 5 is formed with a perimetral base flange to which is secured a similar flange carried on the upper edge of the lower crank casing portion 6. The crank casing thus defined is supported on the customary engine bed beams 7 through the medium of laterally projecting ears 8. A crank shaft 9 extends through the crank casing, being mounted in suitable bearings carried between the casing portions.- To thevarious crank elements of this shaft 9 are respectively connected piston rods 10 which are adapted to operate in each of the cylinders 11, in quite the usual manner. A cam shaft 12 is also longitudinally journaled within the engine crank casing and is adapted to control movement of the valve actuating rods 13, which operate the respective inlet and exhaust valves 14 and 15 of each of the cylinders 11. A

the present invention,

driven shaft 16 projects forwardly from the crank casing as a continuation of the crank shaft 9,`and is adapted to be provided with a propeller or tractor blade 17, where the engine is employed in connection with air-- lhaving these general characteristics to the vhigh speed demands of aeronautical work,

by providing, cordinately an adequate carbureting system and a water cooling system.

With respect, irst, 'to the novel system of Carburation, attention is directed for the most part to Fig. l. On inspection it will be noted that a carbureter 18 is provided for each of the parallel banks of cylinders, for the separate service thereof. These carbureters may be of any desired type fitted to perform their usual function of effecting a combustible mixture of a liquid hydrocarbon fuel with,air. These carbureters are preferably arranged on opposite sides ofthe engine crank casing and substantially at the longitudinal center order that the supply tubes 19 may project upwardly through the symmetrical'center ofeach bank for similar service on each side of such center.v These service pipes 19 connect integrally in the forked manner denoted by the numeral 20 with branch intake manifolds 21, as is shown in Fig. 2. 1t 1s to be 'particularly noted that these service pipes are substantially vertical throughout their course` from the carbureter to the cylvinder bank, so that the most direct path is afforded the -fuel with a consequent elimination of a choked fuel passage.

It is essential, of course, to so connect the opposite carbureters that an absolutely synchronous action thereof may be obtained. This is attained by the employment of a counter shaft 24, which/extends completely through the lower crank casing portion, being supported at its outer extremities in the packing glands 25. At the extremities of this rock shaft 24, are carried connecting arms 26. which similarly connect with the throttle mechanism denoted by the the numeral 27 of each of the carbureters. The.

flow of fuel from the carbureters will thus be properly distributed betweencylinders of both banks, in order to gain the desired uniformity of action on the part of` the engine. An operating lever 28 is carried by the shaft at a convenient point for connection of the shaft to the point of manual control for the operator of the craft.

The advantages of this duplex system of carburation Awith the synchronous control may be summarized by the following systems. Since each cylinder4 bank is equipped with a separate carbureter, the latter may be made of smaller sizes with a consequent gain in dependability of service. The gas supply for ea/ch of the cylinder banks is perfectly equalized by this novel usage, and the arrangement whereby the supply pipes leading to the manifolds take vertically direct routes, preve s there being any tendency for choking or retardation ofthe moving mixture. Both supply pipes are thus exposed equally to the desirable preheating influence-.of the cylinders 11 ofthe bank to be served.y Thejemployment of separate for each of the sides, inv

tem of Carburation, it must be noted that the Y engine is given, in all its details of connection with this system, that perfectly balanced, symmetrical aspect which is of prime necessity in an aeronautical motor.

It now remains to disclose tlie cordinate portion of this invention, `.as relating to the cooling system provided to serve the same purposes of motor eiliciency as the carbureting system, and in a manner greatly simil'ar thereto. This manner includes the individual service of the separated cylinder banks, and secures such servicefrom a single pump of duplexl character. y

The pump casing 29 is of the ygeneral shape best shown` in Fi 4, including a hollow body and al pair o? inlet tubes 30 communicating therewith. Within' the pump body is rotatably mounted an impeller 31, comprisingn a disk having its lateral faces formed with curved, staggered vanes 32.

The pump body is so constructed as to prethe engine as independent circuits for the v cylinders of each bank.

Each of the cylinders 11 is provided with a .water jacket 35 which is spaced from its cylinder in any desirable manner, completely inclosing the piston chamber thereof. The lowest point in each water jacket is connected directly to the manifold 36 serving the bank to which the cylinder belongs, such manifold connecting, obviously` to a pump outlet 34, while from the highest point of the jacket there eXits a branch pipe 37 connecting tothe return manifold 38 of the cooling circuit. y,

The impellerl 31 is keyed upon a shaft 39 and is adaptedI to be actuated through the medium lof a gear 40, carried by this shaft to engage a crank shaft gear. 41 which is the lowermost element of a train of gears which comprises, in addition, the large cam .shaft gear 42, the timing gears 43 and the time drivelgears 44 and 45, the latter of which Y in dotted lines, being completely inclosed in a special housing erected for this purpose at one extremity of the crank casing 5. While this drive arrangement is probably the most compact thatv could be arranged for the manifold requirements, it will be apparent that any desirable drive means for the pump can be resorted to. v

- The advantages of such a system are believed to be evident from the fact that each cylinder bank is given a better service and a more direct service, While at the same time the number of pumps is not increased owing to the fact that the pump casing is provided with a similar pair of inlets and a similar pair of outlets which respectively connect with pump chambers provided and' operated by but a single rotatable element.

The foregoing sets forth the collective advantages of the-carbureting and `cooling systems inaugurated by this invention, showing their unitary relation as being applicable to .the same type of explosion engine, for'the common purpose of serving such engine in similar manners particularly suited to the peculiar arrangement thereof, and to the mutually dependent end of fitting a V-type motor especially f or aeronautical purposes. J

While in the foregoing, however, there has thus `been illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification such comblnation and arrangement of elements as constitute-one preferred embodiment of this invention, it is desired to emphasize the fact that such departures from the particular embodiment disclosed may be made in later adaptations of the invention as shall be recognized as within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. The combination of a multicylinder internal combustion engine of the stationary cylinder type, said engine having its cylinders arranged in banks, of an intake manifold individual to each bank of cylinders and symmetrically arranged with reference to the cylinders it serves, a separate and independent carbureter for each manifold and its corresponding bank of cylinders, each of the said carbureters being of a capacity less than that required for supplying two banks of cylinders, and a direct connection leading from each carbureter to the corresponding manifold and symmetrically arranged with reference thereto, whereby the fuel charges are evenly formed and fed uniformly to said cylinders under varying conditions of service.

2. The combination with an internal combustion engine of the' V type having a plurality of cylinders in each bank, of an intake manifold individual to each bank of cylinders, said manifolds being disposed within the V` and symmetrically arranged with reference to the cylinders they respec- 'required for supplying two banks of cylinders, anda direct connection leading from each carbureter to the corresponding manifold and'symmetrically arranged with reference thereto, whereby the fuel charges are evenly formed and fed. uniformlyv to said cylinders underyarying conditions of service.

3. The combination with an internal combustion engine, having its cylinders arranged in banks inclined to each other, o'f an intake manifold for each of said banks, a separate carbureter for each of said manifolds located beneath the overhang of said banks, and means establishing direct communication between corresponding carbureters and manifolds.

4. The combination with an internal combustion engine, having its cylinders ar- 5. The combination with an internal com- Vbustion engine, having its cylinders arranged in banks upon a crank casing, of a carbureter for each cf said banks, said carbureters being arranged on opposite sides of said crank casing, andmeansextending through said casing to similarly connect said carbureters for synchronous adjustment thereof. f

6. The combination with an internal combustionenginev having its cylinders arranged in banks upon a crank casing, of a carbureter for each of said banks, said carbureters being arranged on opposite sides of said crank casing, and a rock-shaft eX- tending through said casing for.similar connections with said carbureters, for synchronous manipulation of the latter.

7. rIvhe combination with an internal combustion engine having its cylinders arranged in banks, of a carbureter for each of said banks and arranged thereunder to be overhung thereby, a manifold for each bank, and a substantially vertical connection to each manifold from the corresponding carbureter.

nections between corresponding manifolds and carbureters. y

9. The combi-nation with an internal cornlbustion engine, having its cylinders arranged in banks, of an intake manifold for the cylinders Vof each bank, a separate carbureter for each of said banks, direct connections' between each carbureter and the corresponding manifold, and means arranged in conjunction with last said connections for synchronousactuation of said carbureters.

10. The combination with an internal combustion engine, having its cylinders arranged in banks, of an intake manifold for the cylinders of each bank, a separate carbureter for each cylinder-bank, direct connections between each carbureter and the corresponding manifold, and a rock-shaft similarly connected to each carbureter for synchronous manipulation of the latter.

l1. The combination 'with an internal combustion engine including a crank casing. and cylinders communicating therewith in banks, of a manifold for each of said cylinder banks, a carbureter centrally connected direct to each manifold, said carbureters being arranged on opposite sides of said casing, a rock-shaft extending transversely of the crank casing, a throttling mechanism carried by each connection between the carbureter and its manifold,

means connecting the extremities of .each shaft with respective thrbttling mechanlsms,

and means for actuation of -said shaft for synchronous control of the carbureters.

In testimony-Iwhereof I aix mg' si ature.

C ARLES B. KI K AM. 

